


Inheritance of heart

by widevibratobitch



Category: Don Carlos - Friedrich Schiller
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, one-sided Rodrigo/Carlos, or not one-sided Rodrigo/Carlos, so generally things i love most to give my favourite characters, tears and pain and suffering, that's your choice i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 16:27:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13170735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widevibratobitch/pseuds/widevibratobitch
Summary: She is good. He knows it’s for the better. He knows she, of all women, will be able to keep Carlos's heart pure and innocent as it is now, as it has always been. She will take his place.A short look at an excerpt from Schiller's "Don Carlos", namely the last scene between Rodrigo and Elisabeth.Rodrigo's POV





	Inheritance of heart

**Author's Note:**

> I have long battled with myself to post this fic but it finally happened. Yay...? It is my first fanfic (of like... four that I've ever wrote) that I am quite fond of and that doesn't make me want to throw my laptop through a window and roll on the floor drowning in self pity. So I guess it's a progress, right?
> 
> Anyway, as I said, I'm in no means an experienced writer, nor is English my first language - so if you notice some mistakes, please do point them out. This piece is unbeta'd (because I wouldn't dare to show it to anyone before I made this very spontaneous decision to post this so yeah).
> 
> Please, let me know what you think, what I should change, correct.   
> Ok enough of my twaddle - enjoy!

The woman is beautiful. She has that something in her eyes that ensures her nobility, gentleness, her bravery. Rodrigo has seen that something in only one person’s eyes so far and he knows that he won’t see it in anyone else’s. He shouldn’t then be surprised that _he_ chose her above all women in this world.

Rodrigo finds himself unable to hate her, no matter how much he’d want to. And it makes it all ever harder. Because when he looks at her, he knows that she was made for _him_. And he realizes that Carlos was never truly his.

He feels hot tears burn his eyes as he takes her trembling hand and tries to calm himself enough to speak. To speak the words that will mark the end of everything for him.

He knows he must let go, let her take _him_ away from him.

He has never been selfish. Has never had any qualms about sacrificing his own life but in this very moment he finds himself unable to give up that one last thing that keeps his heart beating. He raises his gaze to look into her eyes.

She is good. He knows it’s for the better. He knows she, of all women, will be able to keep _his_ heart pure and innocent as it is now, as it has always been. She will take his place.

“Promise me” he starts and feels his heart start palpitating, his throat clench and his mouth go dry as if every last bit of him tried to stop him from saying it.

“Promise that you will ever love him” he barely recognizes his own voice. With every word he feels his heart break but he doesn’t stop. “That you will love him still, unchanged, forever”.

_Like I do._

New wave of bitter tears comes to his eyes and he lets them flow freely down his pale cheeks. The queen sobs quietly and covers her mouth with her hand. She looks away. She stays silent.

"Promise me this, my queen! Solemnly say, do you promise?!" he raises his voice, pushing the fevered words out, hearing his voice break, feeling his heart beat madly in his chest as he squeezes her delicate hand in both of his own.

She can't give up now. He can't let her. He has already made the final movement, has already given up everything he ever owned and cared about. He ripped his own heart out and placed it in her hands and she cannot reject it now.

But she stays silent, only loud sobs escaping her and Rodrigo can't catch his breath as he pulls her hands close to his heart and desperately tries to beg her to speak to him, but his throat is clenched so hard that it won't let him utter a word, so he just keeps piercing her with his gleaming eyes.

_Please, for_ him _, for Carlos. I can't leave him alone. This is the only thing I beg from you. Just this one thing, please._

"That my heart alone shall ever vindicate my love, I promise" her voice is quiet but determined, she looks back at him. And he lets go of her hand and bows his head closing his eyes.

 

_That's it_. He thought he would feel _something_ when it happens but he just feels completely _empty_.

The world is quiet around them. Their hearts slow down, their breaths calm and neither of them dares to utter a single word. Rodrigo stands up, not able to look at her.

That's it. _He_ is hers now. _His_ heart is safe in her hands. There is nothing more left for him to ensure. Nothing but one, last thing. The thing he longs for and fears the most.

"Now I die satisfied. My work is done" his cold and completely emotionless voice cuts through the silence like an executioner's axe and the words seem like that to both of them.

He bows to his queen and turns around knowing that once he leaves this room there will only be one thing left.

_He_ is waiting for him as Posa told _him_ to. And he must go and see _him_ , talk to _him_ , hear _his_ voice for the very last time.

And Rodrigo finds himself relieved when the queen's call stops him for a moment longer.

**Author's Note:**

> That scene is definitely one of my favourites and it is the one that shook me the most and gave me the worst feels ever and no matter how many times I read it - I ALWAYS cry.   
> As dialogues I used the translation of R.D.Boylan.  
> Comments are very much appreciated, just wanna know what you guys think.


End file.
